Lively, a Seattle-based music startup that connects fans to their favorite artists by providing high-quality audio and video recordings of live performances, announced today it has raised $500,000 in seed funding to help grow its base of artists and users. Backers include Seattle-area investors Mike Slade, Nick Hanauer and Pete Higgins of Second Avenue Partners as well as president and COO of the performing rights organization SESAC, Pat Collins.

'Lively is about helping artists connect with fans in a whole new way,' said founder and CEO Dean Graziano. 'Attending a concert is a one-of-a-kind experience. We want to let fans take the memories of live shows home with them, and provide a way for new fans to experience shows they haven't yet attended. The fact that we have such strong financial backing shows the momentum behind this idea, and we can't wait to bring more artists and fans on board.'

Founded on the principle that music fans want to relive moments from their favorite bands' live shows, Lively lets users purchase high-quality audio recordings immediately following a performance, and professional video within 24 hours. Recordings are downloaded using Lively's free Android or iOS app, giving fans a chance to experience their favorite shows at any time with the touch of a finger in their living room or on their mobile phone and without the distraction of trying to record a show on their own.

'Lively's concept is a game-changer for the music industry,' said investor Mike Slade of Second Avenue Partners in Seattle. 'Dean Graziano's team has put together a truly disruptive service that will radically improve the way that artists and fans look at live performances. As the company grows to reach more artists and fans, it's going to be very exciting to see how Lively's service will impact the music industry and transform the live music experience.'

Lively also aims to become a new source of engagement and revenue for artists. Using the technology provided by Lively and audio manager software run on an iPad, artists that have signed Lively's standard licensing agreement can easily plug into a venue's audio booth to record and upload ready-to-purchase audio of live performances to Lively's app. Users can purchase the audio recordings for $4.99 and both audio and video for $9.99. After the Apple and Android app stores take about 30 percent of revenue from each download, the remaining revenue is shared - 70 percent to the artist and 30 percent to Lively. In addition to revenue from downloads, artists are provided visibility into downloads through analytics and tracking data that they can apply to their own promotion and marketing efforts.

'I'm excited about the concept of Lively because it gives artists a new way to create, own, and merchandise their content,' said investor Pat Collins, who also leads the performing rights organization SESAC. 'It's a great way for bands to grow their exposure and connect with fans. Fans will love this new way to interact with artists. This is indeed a service that meets the needs of artists and audiences alike and will generate additional sales and grow their fan base.'
With this seed funding in place, Lively has plans to dramatically expand its staffing and grow its physical space in Seattle, including the construction of a performance space to host live recording sessions for Lively artists. The new space is expected to open as soon as October 2013.

The mobile app market continues to be a strong area of growth opportunity for artists and for the music industry as a whole: a recent study from the Pew Research Center found that more than half of American adults own a smartphone, while another study from independent analyst firm Canalys found that app downloads have continued to increase with growth of more than 11 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

About Lively
Lively, LLC (getlive.ly) is a Seattle-based music venture which aims to bring artists and fans together by providing professional-quality audio and video recordings of live performances through an app-based interface. The app is available for download now on iOS and Android. Artists can use Lively to easily record and upload audio of live performances for purchase by fans immediately following a show, while high-quality video can be made available within 24 hours. Lively's system helps artists create, own and profit from their content, while giving fans a new way to interact with their favorite bands and discover entirely new performances.